This ride is a companion to the Mortal Kombat HIIT ride I posted in October. Both are made up entirely of extended mixes: no song under 6:00 minutes for the working part of the class. Longer working intervals = more challenge.

Get Lucky (Joe Maz Remix) – Daft Punk (5:28): Warm up with a peppy remix of one of THE songs of 2013, and it’s long enough to increase to moderate resistance and move into some work around 4:00: either a standing climb or some 4-count jumps.

Ring the Alarm (Freemason’s Club Mix) – Beyoncé (8:34): I will be forever grateful to Schwinn Master Instructor Keli Roberts and reader Lisa Goldman for putting me on to this song. (I don’t know Keli – the song came to me through Lisa Goldman’s Sh*tload of Climbing guest post, which was based on one of Keli’s rides.) It’s exactly the right kind of relentless. If it is not on your iPod, for goodness’ sake, go download it now. We’ll wait.

Back? Okay… the other thing I love about this song is, it’s versatile. I’ve used it here as a long series of rolling hills, standing the whole way (yes, longer than you would outdoors), with the resistance going up up up a notch at a time, then down down down again. I’ve alternated between climbing and 4 or 8 count jumps (1 min each interval), or perhaps my favourite: a bike race where each rider gets a turn to attack (sometimes two!)

This last works only in a smallish class (say, under a dozen). First I give everyone a number: 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. The song is a seated climb up a medium hill. Whomever’s number is up looks for a good time to attack. When they find it, they come up out of the saddle and go like stink, with everyone else following. I usually decide how long the interval will be; when I sit down, everyone else can, too. If you have a class of regulars, you could let the lead rider decide when to attack and how long the interval will be. When the interval is done, everyone sits and keeps climbing. It’s on to the next person (#2) to decide when the next attack should happen. And so on, until everyone has had a turn (or perhaps two). I love doing the drill this way because I find that the riders almost always work themselves harder than I would work them. The song generally ends with some very satisfying sucking of wind.

The Veldt (8 Minute Edit) – Deadmau5 (8:40): Another combo: jump/climb/flat x2 with a recovery break in between. Start with 4/8 count jumps (1 min) then on to a standing climb (1 min) and a seated flat (1:30). Recover from 3:30 – 5:00 then repeat. I usually fast forward to the next song 40 seconds from the end but you could also take it as recovery.

Snakefood – Safri Duo (6:04): Two seated flats with a long break in between. This is the last work of the day, time to get all that energy out, so I coach riders to choose a resistance and a cadence that leaves them wondering if they can complete 2 minutes without pulling back. At 1:00 they should be worried, at 1:30 galvanized, and at 2:00 they’ve earned a delicious 1:30 recovery interval. Time to reflect: did they get to that ‘oh crap what have I done?’ place? Time to adjust and go again: the second interval runs from 3:30 – 5:30 (you could take it right to the last drumbeat at 6:00 if you like.)

Blurred Lines (feat. T.I. and Pharrell) – Robin Thicke (4:23): Oh boy, do I have mixed feelings about this song. On one side: one of the biggest songs of the year, it’s catchy, it spawned a useful discussion about consent and rape culture. On the other side: It objectifies women and presumes that they are ready and willing (“you know you want it”) in virtually adolescent fashion (and that’s just the lyrics – do not, under any circumstances, view the uncensored video if the lyrics make you angry). Plus, I can’t unsee Miley Cyrus twerking against Robin Thicke at this year’s Video Music Awards, which was to sexuality what Seinfeld’s Elaine Benes’s jerking movements were to dancing. What to do? After a great deal of thought, I decided to include it as a cool down song IF I could also say a few words about the controversy (I do) and mention the cheeky video parody made by a couple of Halifax women called Ask First (in which they’ve rewritten the chorus: That’s why you need to ask first / No way to know I want it / No way to know I want it / Unless I say I want it / Ask first / Consent is sexy / Shows you respect me) and parade around with sex toys. Do not, under any circumstances, view the parody video if you are prudish or easily offended.) Personally, I think it is brilliant.

Anything – Hedley (3:11): Some additional cool down and goodbye music with inspiring lyrics from these Canadian rockers. There is something that sounds like an f-bomb in there but I’m hearing it on FM radio here in Canada. If it’s unintelligible enough to make it past the Canadian Radio and Television Commission (CRTC), it’s probably okay to play in class.